As the USA’s antiquated wine laws and three-tiered sales system have shaken up wine shipping in the USA, I’m suggesting wine-related PRODUCTS instead of actual bottles for your friends & loved ones! So, here are your stocking stuffers, end of year & start of year wine-related gifts for your family, friends, or yourselves- anyone who loves wine. Legal Disclaimer: Some of these were free samples provided for review, others I paid cash for. Each of these does what it is advertised to do! The opinions expressed about them are purely my own, and you should be glad I’m not posting my “didn’t make the cut” items.

These 24-oz Bordeaux-style glasses are dishwasher-safe, large and in charge. More importantly, they have a corkscrew design in the bottom of the glass that catches sediment so it doesn’t reach your mouth and you don’t have to strain or decant unfiltered wines, older wines, or wines that are heavy in sediment- you know what I’m talking about! What wine lover hasn’t had a mouthful of “yech” when trying to get the last dribs of a beloved bottle? Check out the (thankfully short) video I made about these:

Here’s a comparison shot of a 12Oz. Burgundy glass on the left, with the 24Oz Spirale design on the right, which reaches up to the top of the photo.

A Wine Not is an effervescing tablet that removes red wine stains from your tongue and teeth. I first saw them at the Wine Bloggers Conference, where I jumped at the opportunity to try one after a day of tasting red wines -my mouth was a deep purple and my teeth looked frightening! One lemon-lime tablet on my tongue and you can feel it working, like an alka-seltzer for wine stains. And yes, it DOES remove the wine stains! Here, check out my video:

I don’t suggest trying to talk with a Wine Not in your mouth. As you see, talking doesn’t work well, but the Wine Not will!

Developed by an engineer whose research led him to determine that in the USA alone, $1.5 BILLION dollars of wine is wasted annually. This product is actually argon, which, being heaver then air, allows you to easily replace the air in your opened wine bottle with a layer of protective argon against the wine in the bottle, which helps it to remain fresh longer! I’ve been using this for over a month with stellar results; it works beautifully! Again, I have a silly short video below:

Capabunga Wine Sealers are wine bottle sealers made specifically for both still and sparkling wines , with the latter being called the CapaBubbles! Instead of re-corking your bottle, after opening this is a great little sealer that allows you to put the wine bottle in the rack upright OR back on its side after being opened. Broken cork? No worries! I love these little re-closure devices- and they work well in conjunction with the ArT wine preserver, above (wink, wink!) I first saw these at #WBC17 thanks to the Luscious Lush Thea Dwelle and I have adored the ones I purchased. And yes, as I stated above, when you turn the bottle on its side, the seal stays firm and wine doesn’t leak out! The cap is easy to remove and doesn’t break off in your hand, and they are reusable. What’s not to love?

Sure I’m suggesting these during the Holiday Season, but they’re excellent gifts any time of year, with many of them available direct and/or via Amazon.

If you try these products out, please let us know how you liked them by commenting below!

The nitty-gritty: World wines, from 2-12 bottles per shipment, available monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually. Wine prices average in the mid $20-range, 2 bottle shipments start around $50 and have discounts with higher bottle counts. Recommendation: BUY for yourself, or GIFT to your wine loving friends & family!

Etty Lewensztain is a Wine Enthusiast “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker”, with PLONK, a wine club that is proudly hailed by Food & Wine, Forbes, Wine Enthusiasts, and Wine & Spirits just to name a few. Etty is also a sommelier with a WSET Level 2 Certification who sources delicious world wines at under $30/bottle. She curates artisanal, small-batch, sustainably grown, organic and biodynamic boutique wines from around the globe for PLONK. Etty’s club is designed for both the new wine lover who wants to learn about wine, as well as those like myself- jaded oenophiles who know what they like but like trying new and exciting things, and LOVE finding new, small-batch producers who are making their way in the world offering tremendous values. I like Etty because her approach (much like my own, I’d like to think) is almost anti-wine club, and more along the lines of “best friend with killer wine sense”.

Ok- as a jaded New Yorker and admitted former Francophile, you’re thinking, How can you be so positive on this? Yeah, I know. It’s not the kind of thing I’d usually support, because I get offers to join EVERY wine club in the industry… and almost every one I say NO to, because I tried many of them in my youth and found them lacking. Lacking style, lacking value, lacking responsibility. Well, this is the first in a long time that I had ANY interest in a wine club that is not from a specific winery, because it comes down to a person with responsibility, taste, liability, and something to lose in the deal. Etty is fun, personable, and responsible. Her club is all about the customer’s comfort- and it shows if you read some testimonials. But let it be enough to say that this is the first wine club with wines in an every day price range where there is an individual’s name and face on the club, with both responsibility for your drinking pleasure and something to lose. Why do I like her approach? Well first, I liked her wine choices. They’re great! Let me be specific: no where else have I seen this breadth of great independent winemakers: she vends Leah Jorgensen, MeinKlang, Chateau Saint-Amour, Tavel Rosé, classic Chablis…I could go on! But second, she’s an entrepreneur, a freelancer, and obviously it’s the same way I function, just like independent wine producers with limited production. For people like us, EVERY BOTTLE COUNTS!

Color is deep garnet, with an opaque center. The nose offers dark red fruit, heat, eucalyptus, and forest floor. On the palate, I received full-bodied sour cherry, red plum, with strong tannins and mouthwatering acidity. Final notes of small stones, sodium and red currants. This is a fascinating wine; I immediately wanted another sip. For a second time, getting that memory of the fruit and a hint of bitterness on the moderate finish, I wanted this with pizza or adjaruli khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread) but it would work with a myriad of flavors. It actually complemented both a wurst and dark chocolate so beautifully, but any flavorful or savory dish would complement nicely. At $22/bottle I’d like to open this with friends and some snacks just to discuss. This is a wine-lover’s delight, for sure- but a foodie wine as well. I’m going to need to find more Slovenian wines!

Vino de Terruños “Siete” 2015 Rioja, Spain, 13.5% ABV; SRP:Sold Out

Color is ruby with a translucent, magenta center. The nose offers raspberry, blueberry, green cuttings, forest floor, and clay. On the palate, the fruit becomes a reserved berry compote: luscious but restrained, with excellent structure and balance in fruit, acidity, and tannin. The gentle finish has a touch of bitter herb with more clay. This is a tapas-style wine that is easy to start the evening with, pairing nicely with a cheese and dried fruit platter, then olives, and cured meats. A delicate wine that is fun to drink and easy to go down, it is capable of sticking around with gentler main courses and can handle fish, fowl, and pork easily.

Color is deep purple (near-opaque) in color. The nose proffers black fruit, wildflowers and effervescence. On the palate, this sparkling red is so much fun! Incredibly dry with black cherry, lilac and violet blossoms, sodium, limestone and pebbly granite, this is the red you want to drink cold, ice cold- and it delivers back in spades! Perfect for red sauces, red meats from cured to grilled, spicy Thai, Indian, Mexican or Mediterranean dishes, and an ideal wine for vegan/vegetarians to pair with a veggie entree like eggplant, portobello mushroom, lentils, veggie meatloaf, broccoli and spinach. Did I mention it is simply fun to drink on its own?

Color is deep ruby, with a purple center. The spicy nose offers cassis and black plum, with hints of lilac, lavender, black pepper and clove. On the palate, condensed and reserved black fruit with searing acidity and powerful tannins; the wine is classical in style with elegance that is the polar opposite of the fun label and cork. A long, dry and tightly-wound finish with notes of sandy black earth, and wet leaves. This is a wine that screams for food, and will complement salty seafood, delicate fish, fowl or vegetables, and can pair will pork chops or wild boar nicely, in addition to dark chocolate and cake for dessert.

Let’s Get Back to Brass Tacks:

As I said in my introduction to Plonk Wine Club, I like Etty’s approach because not only does she choose good-to-great wines from across the globe, but she is also offering an unusual breadth and history, with a solid value. But don’t forget: unlike corporate-style wine clubs, she has a personal stake in her business:Every bottle counts! As a potential customer, this is where you benefit. You vote with your wallet and your patronage, and this is one where you can cancel at any time, or buy more of any wine you like. It’s a win/win situation, or a wine/win situation if you’ve had enough wine to taste.

And here’s a special opportunity for JvBUnCorked readers: use promo code UNCORKED to get $10 off your first purchase.

Like this:

This year’s #CabFrancDay was full of delicious and inviting #CabFranc! If you think of cabernet franc only as a blending grape and not as a delicious varietal to drink, then you should take the plunge and try some! Cabernet Franc is actually the parent of the cabernet sauvignon grape, and while cabernet franc may be often used as a blending grape, it should not be ignored as a sole varietal that is a touch lighter in color and flavor and less full-bodied than cabernet sauvignon, while still featuring complex notes of fruits, spice, herbs and minerals. Here are the wines I tasted for #CabFrancDay and my tasting notes, with super-special thanks to Lori Budd of Dracaena Wines and all the wine makers and wineries who provided these wines for our tasting pleasure!

Ruby color, nose of ripe raspberry and cherry with green, herbaceous undertones . On the palate: sharp acidity, firm cherry and young red cassis fruit with gentle tannin; medium finish with cedar and wet slate, clay, and pumice. This could last all night, will really show well with food. I still sometimes (wrongly) think of Finger Lakes as a riesling area, this reminds me that they make really good red wines, too! Click for link to Benmarl Winery .

Medium purple in color, semi-opaque. The nose offers gentle purple fruit and a hint of funk. On the palate: plum and red berries, notes of earth, green cuttings, and potting soil. Medium body, matching tannin and acidity. Medium-long finish with final hints of both granite and sandy loam. This wine sits squarely in the middle of major grapes- and with food pairings, this wine can either fade, or feature, depending on the flavor profile of the dish. Chateau Niagara was among the most popular favorite of last year’s taste testers, and it is easy to see why: gentle on the palate, easy to enjoy by itself or with just about any food. I enjoyed this with a melange of flavors, including spicy black bean salad, cheese tortillas and salsa, gouda, and salted chocolate.

Bright ruby color, while the nose has a complex aroma of blackberry, plum, and eucalyptus. On the palate: plum, berries, and red currants with secondary notes of african violet and limestone. A specific opulence with this delicate mouthfeel, a little more acidity than the others in this tasting group. In short, I found this wine spellbinding! Three times I sat down to write tasting notes and just enjoyed the pour instead. I could drink this all day, and if I had room in my cellar, I would buy a case to see how this wine ages. Flagrantly delicious, this wine is flexible in its complexity of flavors to move seamlessly from meal prep through the meal to coffee and dessert! Now we need to find some NYC wine stores to carry Fjord Vineyard’s wares!

Light purple in color. Nose of black fruit and stone, with green cuttings. On the palate, black plum, cassis, some green peppercorns, with secondary notes of of clove, cacao nibs, toasted oak, sand, clay, and slate. Medium body on top of the mouth, fuller on the side and back palates with a nice balance, moderate in all things: fruit, acid, tannin, & body. Did I mention there is NO heat on the palate- I never would have guessed it is 14.6% ABV! This wine really can pair with anything, but the reserved quality of it makes it shine with foods that are not over-the-top in flavor profile, which is probably why I keep thinking of it as a vegetarian’s delight. Cab Franc seems singularly capable of handling the spiciness of tomato sauce, the bitterness of overcooked greens, the umami of porcini mushrooms, and everything from sweet peas to eggplant.

I loved the maturity of this wine which provided an elegance that made me adore it and think about buying other cab franc just to cellar. I would buy this at a restaurant without hesitation for the elegance and beauty of this wine, plus the flexible pairing cab franc offers. A great pairing that surprised me was Indian food- Chicken Tikka Saag! The wine constantly complements, and never overpowers. You’d be foolish to ignore this beautiful Sonoma County wine with a half-century of age, and at this price, it’s still an excellent buy, just probably not your weekday pairing. It’s worth checking out Merriam Vineyards, and maybe their cab franc is the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite vegan?

Don’t you think it’s time you bought some cabernet franc to share with your family and friends?

From the coast of Puglia, Italy comes San Marzano, a wine collective of 19 grower families who joined together in 1962. San Marzano produces wines that demonstrate the terroir and flavors of Puglia. Their Talò line aims at the $15-20/bottle USD range, which is a great price to try wines you can choose to drink either every day or hold for specific food pairings or special occasions.

Talò Primitivo Di Manduria 2013, 14%ABV, SRP $16.99

Color is deep ruby, while the nose offers black fruit, cassis and stewed prunes. On the palate: massive dark fruit with some green vegetation. Secondary notes of black currants and cedar, with heavy tannins float across the lower palate and bottom of the tongue. A long finish completes the experience with notes of silt, sodium, and granite. So easy to pair with food, from pizza to pasta to seafood gumbo to lighter meats. This is a crowd-pleaser!

Talò Negroamaro 2015, 13.5%ABV, SRP $16.99.

Color is a blend of ruby edging and a garnet center, with a nose of black fruit, iris blossoms, and aged wood. On the palate, dark cassis and black plum dominate the front and top with a hint of vanilla, while the side palates feature notes of forest floor, granite and slate on the long finish. I paired this with Chinese stir-fry, Mexican food, and grilled meats on yet a third night, at which point I realized that the entire Talò wine line is really designed to pair well with any type of food, but perhaps you’ll find a favorite you prefer to pair it with. I really loved the way the NegroAmaro complemented spicy flavors and heat, be it hot sauce or garlic with fresh ginger.

Talò Malvasia Nera 2014, 13.5%ABV, SRP $16.99.

Color is light garnet with ruby edging; a nose of raspberry and a rich spice blend follows. The palate offers red raspberry, plum, and cherry with notes of wet stone, pepper, and clove on the medium finish. With less brawn and more bite, this wine easily complements smoked meats, bacon-wrapped scallops, or my personal pairing choice: pan-seared salmon.

Talò Salice Salentino 2013, 13%ABV, SRP $16.99

Deep ruby color with a nose full of black plum, eucalyptus and blackberry. On the palate: a powerful mouthful of black fruit, a hint of mature cherries, with strong tannins. A great choice for game meats and fowl: duck, goose, lamb, mutton, bison, boar, ostrich, or the ever-elusive porterhouse steak. This wine is big and balanced on all things: flavors, tannin and acidity. Grill and go enjoy!

Tramari Rosé di Primitivo 2016, 13%ABV SRP $16.99

Color is pale salmon pink, the nose offers hints of rosebuds, and ripe red fruit. On the palate, juicy raspberry, nice acidity and the top palate has a hint of honey before you realize how beautifully dry this rosé is. Let me take the bottle to the backyard and drink while I enjoy the afternoon sun, the breeze under the canopy of gorgeously blue sky, and forget about the problems in the world. This is a decadence and forgetfulness wine; serve chilled with canapés on the veranda while decked casually in shorts and boat shoes- or drink it any time you miss or want those carefree afternoons.

Step outside your comfort zone from the wines of Italy you might normally drink. Take an opportunity to taste the Southern Italian sunshine, the sea breeze, and the grapes punished by the hot sun. These are decidedly Mediterranean notes from flavors you already know and love, and can now enjoy even more at a daily wine price! The flavors of the San Marzano line will work year-round; try one or all and see for yourself!

Special thanks to Tuewen Communications for the providing the opportunity to sample San Marzano Wines!

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